For Cracker Addicts

A Hollywood restaurant serves a dangerous treat.

DEAR SOS: Would you please obtain the recipe for the crackers served at Ammo Restaurant in Hollywood? They are so delicious and dangerously addictive. We want to make these Parmesan-pepper crackers at home every day.

MARTIE FLORENCE

Los Angeles

DEAR MARTIE: Ammo kindly rushed the recipe to us for our readers’ benefit. The chefs at Ammo use a commercial pastry rolling machine to make these; we were able to produce the same result using a home pasta machine. Make the Infused Oil first, then brush it on the crackers.

Ammo Crackers

Active Work Time: 1 hour 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INFUSED OIL

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon paprika

* Whisk together the oil, chili powder, pepper flakes and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.

CRACKERS

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons honey

Salt

4 cups flour

Infused Oil

Pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

* Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 5 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

* Combine the water, honey and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix until the salt is dissolved.

* Place the flour in the bowl of a mixer and, beating at low speed, slowly add the water mixture until a dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forming into a ball. The dough will be sticky.

* Knead the dough on a floured surface 1 minute. Divide the dough into pieces small enough to fit your pasta machine. Dust both sides of the dough with flour. Start by running one piece of dough through the machine at its widest setting, then repeat, narrowing the setting each time, ending with the next-to-the-narrowest setting. You’ll have a long dough strip when you’re done that’s as thin as fresh pasta. Place the dough strip on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat this step with each of the remaining pieces of dough. Some of the dough may tear or become too thin, but you should end up with about 15 long, thin pieces on the baking sheets.

* Brush the dough with the Infused Oil, sprinkle each with salt and pepper to taste, and then with the pepper flakes, oregano and cheese.

* Bake the crackers until browned and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Cool them on racks, then break into pieces and serve.

12 servings. Each serving: 260 calories; 73 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.87 grams fiber.

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DEAR SOS: Your recent article about beets reminded me of the wonderful beet cake recipe with delicious icing you printed years ago from Gorky’s Cafe. I can’t seem to find it. Could you please reprint it?

HENRY F. BOSMA JR.

Pasadena

DEAR HENRY: What a pleasant reminder. Gorky’s, a one-of-a-kind restaurant catering to people in the downtown Los Angeles garment district, also attracted food lovers from everywhere. Beet cake was one of the major attractions. We updated this version by adding powdered sugar to the frosting to make it sweeter.

Gorky’s Beet Cake

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

CAKE

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups shredded fresh beets

1 cup chopped walnuts

* Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil until fluffy.

* Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir well to blend.

* Add the vanilla, beets and walnuts. Beat together 1 minute. Pour the batter into a 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake the cake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 to 3/4 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

* Blend together the cream cheese, whipping cream, almond extract and powdered sugar in a blender or mixer until fluffy. Spoon onto the cooled cake or serve separately to dollop the cake.

12 servings. Each serving: 727 calories; 350 mg sodium; 116 mg cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 2.29 grams fiber.